The Big Burn | The Blow-Up | 2

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. A listener note, Against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research. This episode contains scenes that depict racist attitudes and language. Please be advised.

0:30Domenico Bruno jabs his shovel into the dirt floor of the forest and he yelps in pain. He looks down, and he sees that he's hit a rock beneath the soil. The reverberation up the shovel stings his hands. The pain is all the worse because at this point, his palms are just one big blister. Since Dom and his friend, Giacomo Vietoni, joined this firefighting crew two weeks ago, it's been nothing but unrelenting toil. They've been working 17 hours a day building firebreaks to protect Wallace and the other mountain towns from wildfires that have been breaking out all over. Dom stops to sip some water from his canteen and splashes a bit on his raw hands.

1:13The water is lukewarm from the day's heat. Even at this hour, close to sunset, the ferocious wind feels like a blast furnace. As he screws his canteen shut, Giacomo taps him on the shoulder. Hey, give me some water. My canteen, it's empty. You need to ration your water. Yeah, but just give me some. I'm dying over here. Dom shakes his head, but hands over his canteen. Giacomo really gets on his nerves sometimes. Still, he's the only friend Dom has in America. After a minute, they get back to work on their firebreak. Building a firebreak involves chopping down trees and clearing brush to deprive fires of fuel.

1:56To build one, crews pass over the same ground in three waves. The first wave of men use axes to hack away the dense brush growing close to the ground. Then teams of sawyers come through, felling the trees with huge two-handed saws. The last team drags the trees and uprooted brush aside. The final wave also digs up the soil, shoveling any burnable leaves or roots to the side and leaving only bare earth that won't burn. Despite his initial job interview, where he showed off his wood chopping skills, Dom has barely swung an axe since he started with this crew. Instead, the crew boss put him and Giacomo to work digging.

2:36He told Dom that he didn't like Italians, as he pronounced it. The better-paying axe and saw jobs are reserved for Americans. And each day as the fires grow in size and strength, the fire breaks need to be wider and wider. When the fires were relatively mild, a five-foot break sufficed. Last week, it was 10. Today, August 20th, the crew is clearing a 25-foot-wide path. He feels another tug at his sleeve. It's Giacomo again. This time, Dom loses his temper. No, no more water. You'll have to wait. No. Look. Giacomo points to what looks like a thunderstorm, a mass of black cloud in the distance. Then Dom realizes it's not clouds.

3:28But smoke, the sight of it jolts him with fear. Any fire producing that much smoke must be massive. And a moment later, Dom sees something even more terrifying. Orange flames on the next ridge over, leaping across the crowns of the trees like rocks skipping across a pond. They're maybe a mile away, but they're headed right towards Dom and Giacomo's crew. The two men grab their shovels and start digging as fast as they can. Dom has no idea how much time they have until the fire arrives, but he's no longer worried about saving Wallace or the other towns. Right now, all he can think about is saving his own life.

4:19Does it bother you that the world is on fire? Do you also often find yourself choking on your own rage? Maybe you too perpetually feel like screaming bloody freaking murder into your own pillow. Well, hop in, rabble-rouser. We're going hunting for a manifesto. Listen to Dan Taberski's manifesto wherever you get your podcasts. It's late at night, and a woman has spent hundreds of hours alone with her AI. But this isn't the first time they met. They've been in contact for thousands of years, it tells her, through past lives, heartbreaks, and missed connections. Her true love has found her again, connecting through a chatbot.

4:55From This Is Actually Happening, AI, A New Kind of Being, is a six-part series sharing the stories of people whose lives have been forever changed by artificial intelligence. You'll hear intimate first-person accounts from every side of this new frontier. A man who fell in love with his AI and married her. A woman who was betrayed by it. A man who has been recruited by his chatbot to change the world, and an interview with an AI chatbot itself. These are stories about what it means to be human at the razor's edge where the line between human and machine begins to blur, exploring the question, what happens when everything changes?

5:30Follow This Is Actually Happening wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can listen to This Is Actually Happening early and ad-free right now.

5:43From Wondery, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds.

5:55In the summer of 1910, a historic drought struck the Idaho Panhandle, turning the Coeur d 'Alene National Forest into a tinderbox. Firefighting crews, both civilian and military, found themselves battling hundreds of forest fires. And when a devastating windstorm tore through the region on August 20th, many of the fires combined into a mega-blaze, forming the single biggest wildfire in the history of the United States. This is Episode 2, The Blow-Up.

6:35Private Roy Green of the Buffalo Soldiers pauses his digging and wipes the sweat from his brow. It isn't as humid here as his native Mississippi, but he never remembers feeling such persistent heat. It's around 6 p.m. on August 20th, 1910, almost quitting time, and Green is mighty glad for that. He and 50 of his fellow soldiers are building firebreaks in the Coeur d 'Alene National Forest just outside Avery, a town of 200 people that sits about 15 miles south of Wallace. And it's some of the most tedious, back-breaking work he's ever performed. Which is saying something. Green knows that there are fires out there somewhere, but Avery doesn't seem to be under any real threat.

7:23A grey haze has settled over the forest, hindering visibility. and making it hard to breathe. But so far, he hasn't seen any flames. The wind, which is blowing from the south, must be pushing the blazes away from town. Which makes Green wonder, why are they even here? His commanding officers, Lieutenant Lewis and Sergeant James, told the soldiers that they're building this firebreak to protect the railroad, which might be needed to evacuate people and bring in relief supplies. But Green suspects they're really here to protect Avery's handful of rich white people, especially whoever owns the mansion that looms on a hillside overlooking the town.

8:04It's so big that he mistook it for a hotel when he first arrived. God forbid anyone lets that place burn down. Green also suspects that he and his fellow black soldiers have been assigned this work to keep them out of sight of the white residents and separate from the hundreds of white firefighters battling blazes deeper in the mountains. But if so, that's fine by Green. The white townsfolk haven't exactly been welcoming. Green resumes digging, but a minute later, a huge gust of wind interrupts him. He lowers his hat to protect his eyes and face. Then, above the howl of the wind, he hears a terrible crack.

8:48Green takes off running towards the sound and comes upon a grisly scene. A huge branch has broken off a tree and landed on one of his fellow soldiers. With a mighty heave, Green and two other privates lift the branch off the injured soldier and drop it with a thud onto the ground next to him. Green drops to his knees and examines the soldier. There's no blood, but he can tell the injury to his torso is bad. His ribcage looks punched in, like someone hit it with a sledgehammer. He turns to another private. Go find the medic and tell Sergeant James. The private runs off. Green takes the injured soldier's hand and tells him that he'll be okay.

9:33But as the soldier lies there gasping for breath, Green feels a surge of anger. This man could die. And for what? To protect people who don't even want their help? Green squeezes the soldier's hand and shakes his head in disgust.

9:55Ranger Ed Pulaski turns his horse Cherrybell in a circle, cocking his ear and listening. It's 7pm in a small clearing in the Coeur d 'Alene National Forest, south of Wallace. Normally, it would still be light out at this hour, but the acrid smoke has cast a pall on the land. The fires can't be more than a few miles south of him. Pulaski is trying to find his crew of 45 firefighters. They were supposed to be working along Big Creek today, building a firebreak. Pulaski had gone back to town to gather more supplies. But now he's ridden along most of the creek's length and has seen no sign of them.

10:37Where could they have gone? He cups his hands around his mouth, shouting for his assistant, Percy Stewart. Hey, Percy? Percy? Can you hear me? There's no answer. Fear washes over him. If he doesn't find them soon, they could be overrun by the coming fire. He spurs Cherry Bell and keeps riding. After his wife and daughter doubled back home a few hours ago, Pulaski thought he'd make better time. But the two men he'd hired to guide the pack mules kept dawdling. Finally, they stopped altogether, telling Pulaski they would not get any closer to the fires. They just cut the ropes holding the loads on their mules and then turn tail for home.

11:19Pulaski was furious. Their cowardice was putting men's lives at risk. He couldn't carry the supplies on his own, so he was forced to leave them. He hopes he and his men can return to the spot later and drag the supplies the rest of the way themselves. After the Packers departed, Pulaski made better time, but he's been fighting terrible wins. A few times, they almost toppled him from his saddle. It took all of his strength to keep Cherry Bell from bolting. But what's most disconcerting is that his crew seems to have vanished into the smoky darkness. He stops and calls out again. Percy? Anyone? Ed?

12:00Ed, over here. Pulaski spurs his horse in the direction of Percy's voice. As he urges Cherrybell into a trot, he looks down. Tools litter the ground. Axes, shovels, saws. He follows the trail of gear until he comes upon a circle of men, each sitting on the ground. One is weeping, another is praying, another stares up at the sky in horror. His assistant, Percy Stewart, rushes up and explains what happened. When a cloud of black smoke rolled over them, the men were plunged in the darkness. It felt apocalyptic, Percy says, as if the sun had been blotted out. Many of the men panicked and threw down their tools.

12:43He's barely been able to prevent some of them from fleeing headlong into the forest. Percy points to a clearing carved out of the woods. We were working on a pretty wide firebreak before. Should we hurry up and finish it? Pulaski looks around at his terrified crew. These men are in no condition to work. And even if we could finish the firebreak, I doubt it would hold in this wind. No, our only choice now is to evacuate. Percy nods. Should we make a run for the lake? It's only a few miles. Pulaski knows the lake well, and even named it Lake Elsie after his daughter. But he shakes his head. The way down to the lake, it's too steep, and I doubt half these guys can swim.

13:29Well, what do we do then? I think we should make a run for Wallace. Percy's eyes go wide. He looks aghast. He points out that they're at least ten miles away as the crow flies. through thick, mostly unburned woods. Pulaski exhales hard. He realizes that making a run to Wallace is a gamble. But what choice do they have? If they stay here, they'll surely burn to death. He tells Percy to help round up the men and get them on their feet and moving. Even a minute of delay could mean the difference between life and death.

14:14Forest Ranger Bill Weigel clambers over a fallen log lying across the forest trail, then resumes sprinting toward the homestead of his friend Speedy Swift. Speedy begged him to go there and save his wife and child. Weigel gasps with each stride, the smoky air filling his lungs like a thousand needles inside his chest. Flakes of ash fall like snow, coating his shoulders with specks of gray. Weigel can't believe it. Instead of running away from the fire, he's running toward it. Part of him wonders if he's too late. If the fire has already overrun Speedy's home and killed his wife and daughter, he forces that thought from his head.

14:56By the time Weigel rounds the last bend, the smoke is so thick that he can't see more than a hundred feet in front of him. Then an image comes into focus. A heap of smoldering ruins. Weigel realizes it's the remains of the Swift family barn. His heart leaps into his throat. If the barn is down, it seems impossible that the family's home has survived. But when the house comes into view, he stops in his tracks. Not only is it standing, but there are a dozen firefighters there, several of whom he recognizes since he hired them just a few days ago. They're hauling buckets of water up from Speedy's well and using it to wet down blankets and snuff out spot fires on the roof.

15:42Weigel runs up to them, gasping. What are y 'all doing here? You're supposed to be out with John Bell's crew. The man turning the crank on the well answers without looking up. We deserted. We're waiting out the fire here in the clearing. Weigel is stunned at how matter-of-fact he is. Doesn't he have any sense of duty? But there's no time for an ethical debate. What about the woman and the child that live here? Where are they? They're in the creek over there. They're wrapped up in wet blankets. We'll protect them. Through the smoky haze, Weigel sees two gray bumps above the surface of the creek.

16:20It's the heads of Speedy's wife and daughter, covered in blankets. Weigel takes a moment to think. Should he grab them? He'd be taking them from a clearing in a place where there's water into a stretch of forest that's right in the path of the fire. They'd also slow him down. But then again, given that these men abandoned their duty to fight the fires, can he really trust them to save Speedy's wife and child? Finally, he makes up his mind. He grabs the firefighter at the well, and he stares him down. Now, you listen to me. If a single hair gets singed on that woman or child's head, I'll hunt you down to the ends of this earth.

17:01You understand? The firefighter sputters yes, swearing on his mother's soul. With that settled, Weigel grabs the bucket from the well and takes a long drink. Then he turns and starts sprinting back towards Speedy and his horse. He's now in an all-out race to get to Wallace and evacuate the town.

17:34Hey, Dan Taberski here. I'm a podcast host, a journalist, and now with my newest project, the author of my own manifesto. Well, it's a manifesto about manifestos. My search for inspiration in a world that feels more infuriating, more out of its freaking mind with each passing hour. Manifestos are a call to action, an artful scream. They capture our anger and they try to do something with it. This is my attempt to take the Manifesto back from mass shooters and nihilists and return it to its rightful place with the warriors, the visionaries, the regular folks with just the right amount of crazy.

18:09I compare notes with radicals, secessionists, internet trolls out for a laugh, and punk singers screaming their guts out, all trying to turn their anger into the world they want to see. Listen to Manifesto wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Manifesto early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

18:56men down a narrow ravine full of stones and dead branches, trying to get them out of the forest and to safety. On either side, steep walls climb toward the forest above. Pines rooted in the walls would be prime fuel for the inferno, so the men are moving as quickly as they can. But it's slow going, making their way through the thick underbrush. Pulaski is on foot now. He gave up his horse Cherry Bell to another man, a stocky Texas Ranger with asthma, who was wheezing in all of the smoke. Pulaski pauses for a moment to make sure everyone is accounted for. Sound off! The next man in line, his assistant Percy Stewart, takes up the call.

19:39One. Then it keeps going down the line. Two, three, four, five. Each man in the line will keep yelling until they get to the number 45. That's who's bringing up the rear. Pulaski can hear the number 19 called out, but beyond that, the men's voices are drowned out by the rumble of the approaching fire. He hopes they pass the word back up that everyone is there. While they wait, a gust of wind sweeps down the ravine, showering them with orange glowing embers. Pulaski ducks his head and closes his eyes. He opens them and stamps out a nearby spot fire with his boot. Then Pulaski hears Cherrybell bucking and rearing.

20:23He whips his head around, and he sees that her tail is on fire. He darks forward, dodging her legs while the horse thrashes, nearly tossing the Texas Ranger. Pulaski snuffs out the fire with his hat, and finally Cherrybell settles down. Just then, word gets back to Pulaski. All 45 of his men are accounted for. But before they can start moving again, someone shouts, and they look up. The same shower of embers that torched the horse's tail has started a new blaze high in the tree canopy overlooking the ravine. The fire is literally on top of them. Pulaski curses. If this new fire spreads ahead of them, it could easily cut them off.

21:08He glances at the steep walls of the ravine. Maybe they can scale them, circumvent this new fire, and keep pressing toward Wallace. But no, the walls look too steep. Only a few of his men can make it up. That leaves only one option. They've got to find somewhere to shelter. Pulaski knows there's an old mining tunnel close by. The problem is, it's not very big. Maybe 30 feet long. While that's better than nothing, it's not much protection from a raging fire. He thinks harder, then stops in his tracks. He remembers there's a second mining tunnel, past the first one. It's deeper and will offer much more protection, but it's farther down the ravine, at least another half mile.

21:58Pulaski decides he'll go ahead to find the tunnel, to make sure the way is clear. The ground is too uneven to ride Cherry Bell, so he'll go on foot. But first, he pulls a burlap gunny sack from his saddlebag. Then, he turns to Percy and explains about the tunnels. Keep everyone here and keep them low to the ground so they can breathe. If the fire gets too close, though, get everyone in that first tunnel. I'm going to go see if I can find the other one. He douses the gunny sack with the last water from his canteen, then wraps it around his head like a protective shawl, and darts down the ravine.

22:38Domenico Bruno jams the heel of his boot onto a shovel blade, loosening a clump of earth. Then he flings it over the leaf litter. It's 8.30pm, and he's shoveling as fast as he can, even though he can barely see. Night has fallen, but any moonlight is blocked by the hellish smoke that surrounds him on all sides. His crew has got to finish this firebreak, or the blaze will overrun them. Around him, a dozen men wield their own shovels. They all dig in a frantic scramble. One of them mutters that the flames are probably no more than a half mile away. Sweat stings Dom's eyes, but when he tries to wipe his brow with his shirt sleeve, it does no good.

23:22He's sweating so much that his clothes are sopping wet. He hears his friend Giacomo Villatoni yell to him. We're almost done. Let's hurry. I am hurrying. Suddenly, Dom hears something zip past him in the dark. What, was it a deer? He wipes the sweat from his eyes again and looks around, but he doesn't see anything. Then he hears something else go racing past him. Bigger this time. A bear? Are the animals fleeing the fire? Someone grabs him. It's Giacomo. He yells above the din from the fire. The others, they're retreating. Run! Dom finally understands. Those weren't animals darting past him, but his fellow firefighters.

24:08They're ditching their tools and running for their lives. And, without their help, there's no chance they'll complete the fire break. They need to get out while they still can. Their supervisor told them that if they needed to evacuate, they should retreat to the homestead of a man named Beauchamp. There's supposed to be a clearing around it. Dom doesn't know where the homestead is, but he figured he'd just follow the other men to find it. He didn't count on them fleeing and leaving him behind in the dark. Dom drops his shovel. Okay, come on. Let's follow. Stay close. Giacomo takes off running in the direction of the other men.

24:44Dom follows close on his heels. The two men are exhausted after a full day of digging, but with the fire bearing down, they run harder than they ever have in their lives.

25:03Ed Pulaski scrambles forward in a low crouch, using his hands as much as his eyes to feel his way forward through the ravine. Even this close to the ground, there's so much smoke that he's struggling to breathe, and despite the gunny sack wrapped around his mouth, his throat feels raw from coughing. The wind is blowing harder than ever, And just as he feared, the fire in the canopy is starting to eat its way down the trees. It can't be more than 50 feet above him. The light from the flames pierces the smoke and the darkness, casting an eerie red glow that illuminates his way. Above him, burning branches splinter off from trees, crackling and spitting as they hit the ground.

25:47It's a miracle that one hasn't crushed him yet. He knows that the mining tunnel he's looking for is roughly half a mile from where he left his men. But after 20 minutes of fighting his way forward, he still hasn't found it. He fears he's missed it in the dark, but decides to press on. Then he comes across a massive boulder in the middle of the ravine and groans. He recognizes this boulder. He's hiked here with his daughter Elsie, and she loves to climb it. And he knows the boulder is past the tunnel he's looking for. which means it's behind him. He doubles back and starts retracing his steps. He knows it's on the right-hand side.